1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a load support and handling means suitable for enabling a load to be carried or transported by a fork lift truck or like lift means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Load support and handling means are known in the form of pallets made of wood, metal or fibre board. Such a conventional pallet made of wood generally comprises an upper support surface on which a load can be placed and a spaced apart lower support surface which can be rested on the ground or on the top of another load. For lifting purposes tapered ends of fork members of a fork lift truck are inserted in the fixed dimension space between the two support surfaces of the pallet. In continued use of the pallet with different fork lift trucks having different size fork lift members considerable damage can be caused to the pallet by continual contact with the fork lift members particularly if the dimensions, i.e. the thickness of the fork lift members is greater than the spacing between the two support surfaces of the pallet. This can lead to premature destruction of the pallet by breaking one or other of the support services away from the remainder of the pallet. To avoid this happening it is conventional for the pallet to be made with as wide a spacing as possible between the two support surfaces in order to enable use of the pallet with the majority of fork lift truck fork members. However this considerably increases the thickness of the pallet with consequent storage problems and reduction in space occupied by superimposed loads in a store. Additionally such a larger size pallet is more expensive to manufacture and heavier in weight. If the pallet is made from metal as an alternative to wood to avoid or reduce the problems of damage such a pallet is heavier and more expensive than the wooden version but less easy to damage but still has the problems of increased thickness with consequent reduction in storage space. Fibre board pallets are even more prone to damage than the wooden or metal versions although lighter in weight.
There is thus a need for a generally improved load support and handling means which is suitable for use with the majority of different size fork members of conventional fork lift trucks, which occupies as little space as possible and which is resistant to damage in use.